


A Wild Zebra Appears

by PinkGluestick



Series: Fields of Fur [3]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: A bunch of other characters show up but didn’t have super huge roles, Adult Language, Fluff, Hank worrying about his boyfriend, I don’t know what I’m feeling forgetting, M/M, Romance, THIS IS AS RIDICULOUS AS THE OTHER TWO, cursing, hank being THE BEST boyfriend, hank cursing a lot, happy relationship, imagine if I tagged major character death in a furby fic, implied sex, let me clarify, lots of fluff, mentioned sex, positive relationship, probably way too romantic for a furby fic, this is trash again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 17:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18370940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkGluestick/pseuds/PinkGluestick
Summary: Hank is worried Connor isn’t living it up. He should be more concerneced about his extensive furby use instead, thats honestly the real vice.!!!!!!WARNING!!!!!!!!Mentions of sexual relations, implied sexual relations, no details about anything, no graphic contentBUT I can change the rating if someone isn’t happy with this under Teen and Up setting.





	A Wild Zebra Appears

Hank worried Connor didn’t get out much because of him. His bad influence on the kid was obvious by the way he’d taken to occasionally cursing and sitting around too much with Sumo on his off days. Hank was guilty of these and worse, but it didn’t lighten the fact he had tainted such a sweet, doe-eyed boy in the first place.

It turned into a bit of a problem when if Connor went anywhere without him, he wasn’t gone for long. He’d spend a few hours away then come back with very little to talk about. He just ‘missed Sumo’, and came home early every time. Markus told Hank once not to worry as Connor was a bit of a loner in their group, and didn’t believe it was because Hank’s personal habits were rubbing off on him. It seemed Connor was quite a social, delightful creature who could simply only handle being so for so long. He liked being a homebody and ducked out whenever he’d had enough. Nobody thought anything of it.

That explanation kind of made Hank worry more, though, and it still didn’t sit right with him. 

He brought it up one morning before Connor could start his usual routine with making Hank’s breakfast. He asked Connor if maybe he should take Julie out for a coffee and bring Sumo with him. Go do something to socialize. Maybe help Kara and Ralph with their morning garden care. Even if he just stood there talking at them, go out. Be young. SOCIALIZE.

Connor looked worried, neglecting to fish the eggs out of the pan before they fried. His brain had all its energy focused on one thing: was Hank losing interest??

They....still hadn’t...DONE anything, yet. That was mostly Connor’s fault. Hank never went looking for intimacy because Connor’s immediate blushing and pushing away had probably left him totally dejected by this point. He WANTED TO, GOD help him, did he want the ever loving sin out of THAT. He just.....Hank was not going to like what he’d find, and Connor wasn’t ready to lose him yet. 

And yet it appeared he had gotten himself there anyway.

Hank wanted him to go out more, talk to people more...and while he wasn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t to spend sometime getting to know people of his own choosing while Connor was away, the younger man made it his last ditch effort to comply and show Hank he was still eager to please. He reluctantly agreed to visit Markus’ gang after he re-cooked Hank’s breakfast. 

Hank noticed the pinch in his voice, tight and uncomfortable, and he wasn’t dumb enough to think Connor was happy about this just because he’d agreed. It was better this way, though. How many times had Simon and Markus or North asked where Connor was and if he could come out? They always asked Hank, like he was his keeper. That could be because Connor made himself scarce doing errands and groceries, but Hank still felt like he was keeping him in some safety bubble. 

They’d all be happy to know now that Connor was going to make the effort.

It went better than they all thought it would as Connor started making trips to visit friends at least twice a week, assuring Hank that he was feeling much ‘lighter’ these days. Judging by the accompanying smile, that wasn’t a complete lie.

 

But from Markus’ increasingly strange comments, it wasn’t the whole truth either. He’d come to visit once and while Hank’s boyfriend was getting ready, the older man tried to make small talk with Connor’s good friend.

“He’s doing better, I think, Hank. A bit nervous at times, but that’s to be expected from our favorite lone wolf.” 

“Lone wolf? Is he that much of a hermit?”

“Well....yeah....I’d say so. When he leaves home he always brings something of your’s with him. He still wants to be with you when he’s gone.” Markus mused over how incredibly connected the human was himself to the android. He knew this strong attachment was anything but one-sided.

Hank took a while to process what he’d just said.

It was very....Hank couldn’t see how....something of HIS?

“What do you mean, something of mine?”

Markus shrugged, as if they’d all expected no less from their Cyberlife friend. Apparently, they really didn’t.

“Whatever he’s feeling that day, I guess. Sometimes your mug. Sometimes he wears your shirts over his.”

Hank tensed.

How come he’d never seen Connor do that???

“Sometimes he brings your friends.”

His FRIENDS?? Now who the hell was that supposed to be? 

Hank could count the number of friends he had on three fingers, and one was an f-ing dog.

Markus grinned, clearly trying to bite it down. He knew what was coming at the mention of it.

“What friends?” 

Not being 100% sure he should divulge to Hank in case he hadn’t known, Markus chose ambiguity.  
“I think you know....”

I think you know? That was the most cryptic, weird shit, Hank ever heard.

Until it all made sense.

He turned in early one night while waiting for Connor to come home. Tonight was one of those outings that was clearly rather forced on Connor’s part. He said Alice wanted to light sparklers, and he figured in an attempt to get his twice a week visit with friends out of the way, that he should go. Hank could feel how off he felt about the whole thing, wanting just to stay home and lounge with Hank, curled up on their couch. But Hank felt torn between apologizing to him for making him feel like he had to go, and for standing by the emotional health benefits of him interacting and keeping his mouth shut. Maybe apologizing was the worst route.

Finally, his brain caught up with him and he decided that this needed to stop. Connor wasn’t happy like he said he was and their conversations had become a lot more tense. Their was an urgency in Connor to spend time with him now and he was obviously feeling like their wasn’t enough of it between them anymore.

The most important thing in the world to Hank was making sure he didn’t feel like Hank was pushing him away. He loved Connor. LOVED him more than any man or woman he’d had before.

He only did this BECAUSE of that love. It wasn’t meant to be a punishment!

The thoughts exhausted him and he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He went to bed to try and shut the thoughts it  
(though he couldn’t manage to sleep), and lay there wide awake stewing for nearly 2 hours. 

He just wanted Connor to come home so he could tell him how sorry he was. How wrong this had turned out. That his intentions had never been to stress him like this. He just wanted his baby home.

So he got his ass out of bed, got dressed to suitably trudge through the dead ass of winter, and threw on his white girl ugg boots before leaving the house. He knew where Kara and Luther lived, so he was going to march down there, throw Connor over his shoulder, light a sparkler with Alice out of regret for stealing her friend away, and get their asses back home so they could talk about things, dammit.

Kara’s kin had surprised him when they found a residence in his neighborhood. It had a fabulous reputation for welcoming androids thanks to Hank‘s involvement in the revolution, plus the fact one of the leaders was dating/living with him. It was towards the end of the street, as most of the older residents were crowded by Hank’s house and weren’t going to be leaving their homes anytime soon. Hell, the most active person on the whole street was by far Julie.

Kara, Luther, Alice, and, though he stayed mostly hidden or in his garden- Ralph, were practically within walking distance. Hank decided to brave it and leave the car. Take some of Connor’s constant advice to exercise when possible. Obviously he hadn’t meant for him to do it in the freezing cold at 11 at night, but Hank was going to make all his fuck ups as of late right in one go. One impossible, unrealistic go.

As he got closer, he heard giggles and screams, voices growing louder- Jerry no doubt- and some growing increasingly worried- Luther. They were coming from the back yard.

Hank couldn’t go much faster with the cold on his joints, but he tried to speed up. He was so close to holding Connor again and kissing everything better, he could make himself stand the extra strain on his legs.

He stopped behind the fence surrounding the backyard and reached over to unlock the hinge. He knew his way around after several ‘could you watch Alice (as in Ralph) for an hour?’s that Connor never said no to and always forced Hank to come along every time .

The excited voices grew louder as he approached until he was efficiently able to make out who’s voice was who.

“Connor, don’t. You’ll blow your hand off.” Luther.

“No he won’t! That’s only firecrackers!” Jerry.

“Alice, this could still be dangerous.” Luther warned, talking over Jerry’s persistent ‘nahhhh’s.

Hank came around the corner and sure enough, there they all were.

Hank looked over and saw Kara standing on the patio reading. She didn’t bother looking up, knowing the four of them wouldn’t be getting into any real harm while in her backyard.

“It’s alright. Alice understands the difference between sparklers and firecrackers. She’ll be fine, Luther.”

The giant resigned and looked away towards Connor who was crouched over the ground a few feet from Kara. Alice was staring over his shoulder with a glimmer of mischief in her eye.

There were sparking lights creating shadows across the two, the intensity looked brilliant against the winter night sky. Hank had seen the group interact as intimately before, all seeming rather comfortable in each other’s presence.

Connor was safe here, they were just playing. Maybe he was even happy about going out so late?

Hank had been such an emotional mess the past few hours, he never stopped to think everything through-

“Let me hold Koh-Koh’s sparkler!”

Hank could hear his own brain grind to a halt. 

“Uh, let Connor, actually...” Luther said, taking a step towards the duo and stopping when Alice sprang up, eyes wild. He knew what was coming.

“You do it, Luther!”

Jerry seemed to be the only one to notice Hank’s company yet. He smiled and waved across the yard. Hank gave him a little nod back, still not entirely in his right mind between what he was witnessing and his internal monologue of emotions from seconds ago.

He heard Kara laugh at Luther’s predicament, but kept reading from her spot. Hank looked back as Connor suddenly stood and handed the oval of white and black fur to Luther, offering up a sparkler with his other hand.

Yup...that would be Hank’s ‘friend’ Markus had mentioned. On full display of the whole yard, there was no mistaking it anymore.

Luther reached out and took the offending creature that screeched from being manhandled, and then the sparkler Connor offered. Luther pretended ‘Koh-Koh’ was holding it for Alice to see, and Connor lit it for them before returning to his spot beside Doo-mah.

Alice smiled, brighter than any sparkler, at the sight, watching in total fascination as ‘Koh-Koh’ ‘held’ the stick of distorted light. The fizzling sound filled the air around them, and the enthralled screams of excitement started up again. Alice and Jerry seeming to be the loudest next to Doo-mah.

Jerry came over and (rather dangerously) reached behind the furby’s head in Luther’s hand. He rubbed its mane a few times until its eyes went wide and the exorcism-like movements Hank had dubbed it took over.

It sensed something making movement in front of its forehead sensor, but was unable to computerize what. It took it as a hand trying to put it into sleep mode.

His ears went straight up and it’s eyes lidded accusingly.

“NO! No way-loh!”

Alice giggled hysterically while Luther held it away from himself. Connor watched the exchange with pure delight, interested in his friends’ response.

“Yes!” Alice shouted to try and taunt the device. A favorite kid thing to do was antagonize things it seemed.

“Yes, Way-loh!” She mocked it back. Koh-Koh effectively screeched in response and had Connor damn near laughing at Luther’s surprised jump.

Jerry seemed as eager to antagonize the prehistoric technology as Alice was. He rubbed its mane again and got a growl out of the angry striped demon just as Kara had abandoned her reading to watch the chaos.

She was more interested in antagonizing her dearest Luther than the toy, though.

“Looks serious.” She joked, then fixed the sparkler in Koh-Koh’s imaginary hand Lither held for it. 

The immediate twist in his scowl like he was in actual pain made her outright laugh. He ignored it and turned his attention back on Connor. 

“How do you stand this thing?” He honestly had to know. The screeching was torment.

“That one in particular? He’s angrier than Doo-mah, that’s for sure.” And didn’t offer anymore ham that. The sparkler he held for Doo-mah had finally went out, and he stood up again with the other furby in hand.

 

Luther was relieved when his burned out, too, but nearly had a panic attack when Jerry offered him another one. 

Connor was no villain, though. He took Koh-Koh back and held him to his chest next to the other whirring metal gizmo. He had a better way to entertain his hosts than with Luther’s extensive traumatization. 

“Watch this.” He whispered in a voice full of wonder that drew Alice in instantly.

It took a bit of rubbing Doo-mah’s mane, but it finally clicked, and the brisk winter air began to fill with the disjointed grinding of gears, rubbing together as the creature’s ears began to flutter.

“Ooooh.” He purred. 

It peaked Koh-Koh’s audio sensors surprisingly quickly for an outdated scrap heap. The other furby opening his eyes again.

“Ooh?” Koh-Koh said, testing the waters. He searched for synchronization and-

Success.

“Heyy, me furby. Oo-Doo-mah!”  
“*gasp* me, Koh-Koh!”

Jerry was nearly sucking in air like a ventilator. His eyes were aglow and Luther took the opportunity to switch places with him so he could stand closer.

The zebra began to talk again.  
“Doo-dah U-nye noo-noo wee-loo doo?”  
“Wah! Yippee! Wah.”

Koh-Koh screamed like he’d just been set on fire, excited to hear the other furby liked story time.

Connor recognized the language effortlessly and bounced, just once mind you, as he eagerly relayed the message in English.

“They’re about to share a story!!”

The others crowded him like a flock of seagulls.

At this point, Luther ducked out. He stopped and gave Hank a small smile when he realized the other man was standing there. Hank himself had forgotten he was there, convinced every-time he watched Connor like this, he had fallen into a dimension where the five senses no longer existed. It was fucking mesmerizing if not disturbing; like a train wreck you couldn’t turn away from.

Connor managed to tear his eyes off of his prized possessions to offer Luther a tiny apologetic shrug for all his sacrifices that night when he finally notices that the light of his life was standing only 9 feet away. Connor’s mouth dropped open and he froze.

Kara suddenly realized he wasn’t enjoying his precious fur babies’ conversation anymore, which everyone had come to learn was a near impossible feat considering Connor’s reckless abandon for the little monsters, and looked up to see the problem. Realizing his boyfriend had caught him red handed, Kara took action.

She offered to trade places with him so he and Hank could talk. Alice glanced at her taller friend worriedly as passed the furbys over to Kara. 

Judging by the look everyone’s face, Hank really hoped he hadn’t ruined anything.

As Connor approached, Luther made himself scarce and the two were soon standing alone at the corner of the house. 

The sheepish turn of Connor’s lips and the way he ducked his head made Hank wish whatever he had unknowingly done to Connor to make him so somber all of a sudden could be erased from ever happening. Also that he knew what the hell he’d done wrong in the first place.

It took a moment of hard thinking before it suddenly clicked. He’d been so wrapped up in his despair for making Connor feel like he wasn’t socializing enough and his rush to get over here that he’d forgotten a rather giant question now standing between them.

“Hank, I...” Connor shrugged helplessly.  
“I-I..”

“So...you found him, huh?”

A nervous swallow as Connor adjusted his weight on his feet.  
“He-he was in a box. I just found him in-in the closet one day!”

 

“I know.” Cause that’s where Hank was hiding him.

“I didn’t think...I wasn’t sure if I should, but...”

But he shouldn’t have. If he was supposed to have the striped, furry thing, Hank would have given it to him already. Connor ruined the surprise and they both knew he that he knew better.

 

“How long have you been sneaking that thing in and out of the closet?” Hank couldn’t hold back a grin any more. Connor looked thoroughly ashamed, eyes downcast. All because he was playing with Hank’s surprise furby. If that wasn’t laughable...

“...his name is Koh-Koh...” he whispered.

Hank’s eyebrows shot up, and if Connor would just look up, he’d see how incredibly amused and NOT angry Hank was right now.

“How long have you been sneaking Koh-Koh in and out of the closet, then?”

Connor flushed blue and sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. Hank was forced to take mercy on him because dammit, did he want to hold him already. When did he become so desperate?

“Since you been stealing my shirts, hm? You saw him down there and just couldn’t resist, could you?”

“I tried!.....who told you about that?”

“Markus.” Hank put an arm under Connor’s lower back but didn’t pull at him.

“That was supposed to be a secret.” Connor muttered.

Markus either knew that and didn’t care, or took Connor’s unabashed parading of Hank’s clothing as a sign he wouldn’t mind the world knowing. He didn’t mind the world knowing, just not Hank.

Hank didn’t waste anymore time standing there. He came towards Connor and held him in place against his chest while he carefully slotted their lips together. He usually wasn’t so precise, but the tenderness of Connor’s shame at being caught forced his gentleness to surface. He took his time and pulled away when he was certain he’d convinced the sheepish Android with his tongue that there were no hard feelings.

“It’s yours, Con.” He smiled against his lips a moment. One more chaste kiss following.

“You’re sure?” He looked up with his best puppy-dog eyes, which Hank was smart enough to know were purely a show for more affection at this point.

“What choice have I?” Hank scoffed. “You already named it.”

“It names itself!”

“Hey- can we keep these for a night!” Jerry shouted before Alice could properly shush him. 

Connor and Hank looked over in surprise for a moment.

“Ralph doesn’t want those inside!” Ralph’s voice came screaming through the back door Kara had left open. He’d refused to participate in the night’s events until those things were 10 feet off the property.

“No way!” Connor walked over and collected them into his arms like they were his infant children.  
“They go where I go.”

“Literally, he took them to a crime scene!” Hank added. Connor shot him back a pout, but otherwise left together through the back gate in relatively good spirits. Hank wasn’t mad AND he’d kissed him stupid. Those were worth celebrating.

As soon as they were home, Koh-Koh and Doo-mah were sat on the couch, facing one another so they could continue their story time. Hank thought this was about the damn most endless nonsense he’d ever witnessed. He was this close to forcing some Way-loh on their little asses if they spent another minute talking.

 

“Um, Hank?” Connor squeaked from behind. Hank looked away from the offending creatures and at Connor standing at the end of the hallway, looking incredibly nervous.

“Yeah?” 

“Can we kiss? Again?”

Hank smiled and hurried over to indulge his boyfriend again. Connor pulled back before he could do the deed, though, and looked up at him with curious eyes, voice waivering.

“Li-like we did a moment ago?”

His brain stalled out a moment, but then Hank put it together.

“Oh.”

“I-in the bedroom?”

“Yeah...Yeah sure.”

Connor grinded his teeth against his lower lip and took Hank by the wrist, walking slowly towards their shared bedroom.

Hank wasn’t in his right mind at the moment, but nothing about this felt forced like the other times. Nervous, definitely, but not in the bad way.

“I’ve missed you, you know.” He hoped that was the level of romantic Connor would be willing to shuck his pants off for. He didn’t want to put him out of the mood by making cheesy little confessions.

“I missed you, too....” Connor thankfully agreed. 

Unclear where this was 100% heading, Hank waited for some signal of assurance. A beacon of complete and total consent he could be certain Connor could stand behind. It came in the best way possible.

He took Hank’s hand and put it low on his hip, VERY low on his hip, and purred.  
“In fact, I want to make up for lost time.”

When the bedroom door was shut, Hank finally pounced, and Connor did nothing but happily encourage Hank in his conquest.

 

The next morning wasn’t as peaceful or romantic. 

Connor was...eh...out of commission for a bit. He’d been sort of forced to do some downloads to his software after a surprisingly intense...’session’...towards the end. But that wasn’t what spoiled his divine evening. Hank kissed his forehead, though he wouldn’t lucidly remember it, and left to make his own breakfast.

It was a nice change of pace to get to choose his own GOD awful cholesterol magnets for one morning without Connor worrying. At least until he’d find the cellophane wrappers in the trash can later. 

The small pleasures of Hank’s beloved past time was short lived when out of the bedroom and into the hallway, Hank realized the unholy union of two furbys with an apperantly endless battery life were still conversing on his couch in the living room.

Hank only then noticed Sumo was hunched over by the front door waiting to go outside for a bit. Probably to escape the cluster fuck he’d had to listen to all night.

Hank granted him mercy and opened it so he could do his business. Then he turned back to the screaming on the couch.

“Wah! Doot doot doo! Dance!”  
“Dance!”  
“Noh-lah!”  
“Noh-lah, Wah! YIPPEE!!”  
“Doo-loo Noh-lah, Whoooa! Wah.”

“Oh dear, CHRIST.” Hank ground out. It was like nails raking up a chalkboard. JESUS, what did two furbys talk about for an entire night? Anddd now they were dancing...good. Great.

Hank trudged into the kitchen and fought to keep some level of peace amongst him while he picked out his sugary, carb infested breakfast. 

It was unsurprisingly proven impossible as the tv would be hard to hear over the gibbering and they were furthermore occupying both seats of the couch. Solutions to this included waking his sleeping boyfriend with the tv at full volume, enduring screams of terror from two man handled furbys he wouldn’t know how to silence after moving, and sitting in excruciating patience at the kitchen table.

When Connor FINALLY came back online, around 11 in the morning, a new record for Mr. 5 am by a freaking marathon, he looking thoroughly debauched. Hair a wreck, bangs in his eyes and shirt missing. But dammit he was smiling. Hank couldn’t fight back his own excitement when they locked eyes for a shy moment.

He went to pick up Hank’s coat from the rack as he let Sumo back inside and put his arms through the sleeve holes. Something to add some modesty to his near naked, work of art body, but incredibly not appropriate for Hank’s blood pressure.

Hank was trying to look busy fixing his mess in the kitchen. No need to be overly predator this early, late?, in the morning. Connor had just fixed his circuits.

Evidently, he didn’t have to worry too much about temptation when Connor made a bee line for the couch gremlins. Hank knew instantly it was about to get heavy in here.

“Day-ay-loh-oo-tye.” He greeted.

“Day-ay-loh-oo-tye!”  
*screeching* Ears flickering wildly.

Oh LORD. There really was no end.

“Doo-moh loo-lay! Doo-moooh?”

Connor grinned, such a picture perfect smile, and sat on the floor criss-cross in front of them. He looked up at the couple with so much affection in his eyes. Hank had to pat himself on the back for making one little valentines present bring so much joy into his honey’s life. One little present that made him want to nuke the entire house when the screeching started, but boy did he live for Connor’s smiling face.

“Hank, I’m gonna tell them a story!” Connor looked over to the older man who’d taken a seat again at the table. He announced it like a warning, because Connor was DEFINITELY trying to warn him. Hank’s scowl wouldn’t stop him from continuing, though. He turned back and got settled in.

“Doo-mah?? Koh-koh?” He waited until they perked their ears and fluttered their eyes lids before continuing. Apparently that meant they we’re listening.

“Ee-tay?”  
“Ee-tay, doo.”

Connor was ecstatic they’d agreed to listen. This was a special story and it honestly meant to the world to him. Possibly TMI, but his furbys would still love him if he bragged a little.

“Last nah-bah kah may-tah kah May-may.”

“...Doo...”  
“Loo-loo-doooo.”

“My room.”

“Dooooo?!” Ears were fluttering in a frenzy. Lifeless, shark eyes wide and darting frantically.  
“Oh-kah-tee! oh-KAH-TEE!”  
“Wee-tah!”

“He ah kah.” Connor murmured.

Wails of terror and excitement filled the house. Doo-mah fell over, screaming until Connor righted the sensor in his bottom to an upright position. Hank didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but he started to feel like 1) he didn’t like it and 2) the most important one, that these things were sentient as fuck no matter what Connor pretended was true.

“Dah-kah-oo-nye.” Connor said bashfully, looking down at the large sleeves of Hank’s jacket keeping his hands from view. 

Hank had recognized Connor’s answer was a ‘thank you.’ What ever the story was, it was personal. So there were definitely deviant furbys in the living room. Also, Koh-Koh has a bit of an attitude.

Hank excused himself to shower when the flush on Connor’s cheeks confirmed everything. He shook his head and hoped deviant furbys weren’t the judgmental sort. That was unlikely given the amount of times Koh-koh was demanding answers from what little Furbish he knew.

Alice and Kara stopped by later to check on Connor. They came by just as Connor had coaxed the pair of vile fluff biscuits into another dance. Hank opened the door as the detective Android stood behind him, suppressing a laugh-scream when the two furbys tried to do their dance in his arms. 

Kara was her own version of happy. Seeing Alice and Jerry’s faces alight the other night, Luther grimacing in the background, but trying to remain positive for his child’s sake, brought some level of familiarity into their lives. Connor was becoming more and more like a family member to them. Like some sort of brother. A goofy, senseless one at times. But....

Connor was having a ball.

Suddenly he looked ready to jump out of his synthetic skin half way through their conversation.

“Ohh! I forgot! You can make them compete in singing, watch!!”

“Oh my- Connor!” Kara had to laugh. Like Hank, she knew the devices were ridiculous, gaudy little machines. Seeing Connor’s joy for two furry bundles was an unusual treat, and she was happy he shared these ugly monsters with the rest of their friends.

Hank was surprised by how familiar others were to Connor’s furbys. It wasn’t unwelcome attention exactly since everyone usually responded in wonder. Everyone that wasn’t Hank’s age or nearly just anyway. They of course knew what kind of black magic Connor was carrying around with him. The young fool was playing with the necronomicon and he didn’t even know it.

The only one who was decidedly against them as a whole was Fowler who was sick and tired of random muffled screaming from Connor’s desk drawer when Doo-mah was accidentally jostled awake.

 

Some people, it would seem, didn’t understand the giant responsibility of handling a furby, and those people were an absolute danger.

 

“Here, Connor.” North smiled, actually smiLED, when she handed over a little tub of wires with the most utter care Hank had ever seen from her. Nines stood statuesque beside her, the two getting along swimmingly and had banded together to find Connor’s ‘manufactured day’ present.

Hank couldn’t tell what it was at first, but the horrific troll creature soon came to light as Connor cupped a gentle hand beneath it and held it close to his face.the sight was true horror.

“OH! GOD, CONNOR, NO! NO!”

Connor was lost to the world around him, though... feelings overwhelming him as the two most calloused, bitch-faced people in his entire life looked at him in total adoration for their dearest fellow android.

“We found it.”

“Where?” He whispered in awe.

“It’s a secret.” Nines and North shared a look, grins cat like.

Hank marched over in a haze of rage and disgust. How dear they do this to him after everything.

“Connor, I can not stress this enough....that’s not coming home with us.”

Connor didn’t stop smiling down at the newest addition to his furby family, like he hadn’t heard him. Hank suddenly grabbed the attention of the utterly de-furred slab of plastic, and its gigantic eyes looked over at him with some rambunctious popping sounds.

The wires that made out its ears perked and dipped, regarding him curiously.

“Ohhhh.” 

Hank felt the deepest, darkest chill run up his spine. Connor finally looked up at him, smile small and pleading.

“But it’s my happy manufactured day present. Please, honey?”

“Connor.” Hank was literally breathless. The thing in his hands was going to make Hank scream every time he ran into it while looking for a midnight snack, and that was a risk that was far too great.

Gavin stopped by to see the commotion, eyes trained over Connor’s arm at the skinless monster.  
“Oh, GOD. That thing needs a fucking bath. Desperately.”

“It’s clean, Reed.” North rolled her eyes.

“We put great care into Connor receiving this gift.” Nines agreed. “It’s finally ready for its new home.”

Connor took that as an encouragement to insist he couldn’t reject their gift. He turned his puppy-dog eyes up to level 20 locked eyes with Hank (who was quickly losing his grasp on the situation). How could he tell this perfect little angel no?

All he ever did wrong was condone reckless furby handling, but boy did he live for that. Hank didn’t care that one saved their life from a deadly bullet one time, Connor shouldn’t have brought it to the crime scene. They were not meant to be this fucking aware, that’s all Hank was saying.

“Nines took the time to educate this one for you, too, Connor. We wanted you to have a perfect present.” North said, stepping into the stare off with zero abash.

Connor’s face set off like fireworks in July and Hank had a front row seat to the perfect, delighted little ‘o’ his mouth formed.

“You did!? Nines!” Connor threw himself at the taller man and into a hug that Nines returned with a couple of lifeless pats.

Gavin was looking briefly concerned for Connor’s sake that the plastic glob of ugly, visible, wires was something to be so emotionally attached to. A side eye at Hank’s firm hold on the bridge of his nose between pinched fingers told him enough about his own feelings on the subject. Gavin wouldn’t want that shit in his house either.

“I’m going to get him accustomed to Doo-mah and Koh-Koh immediately! What’s its name Nines?”

“Con...it doesn’t have SKIN.” Hank uttered pitifully, his final plea.

“He told me, but I changed it. We mutually agreed his new name was more compatible to stay relevant, Rk100 is his new designation. He’s more aware of modern politics, too.”

 

Connor listened in rapture. All this hard work, and for HIM! He was so lucky, good thing Hank had made him get out more to appreciate such friends.

“Nines, if this thing talks, is it gonna sound like you?” Hank asked cautiously, eyes narrowed in fear.

“It can definitely talk, and I’m not sure. I’d say...he responds similarly, yes.”

There was groaning and temple rubbing on the Lieutenant’s part, but North was just pleased the eldest brother was so happy. She pat him on the back before leaving him in peace with his newest furby member. Connor almost didn’t notice her leaving until she was at the door to the precinct and pushing it open.

“Uh-thank you, North! I’ll see you later!” He called, suppressing an excited bounce.

She smiled and left. Honestly, she thought the whole fixation was stupid, but she could handle keeping her mouth shut about it for one day out of the year. For Connor.

 

Hank lay awake for many nights, nights that weren’t especially athletic that is, just thinking about the skinless blob sitting on HIS kitchen sink only a few rooms away.

It wasn’t easy to do when the raccoon infestation came back for their trash cans a few nights after, and Rk100 implemented a delicate new alarm system Nines swore he had apparently NOT taught him (which was eerie as fucking fuck). 

It was A lovely series of  
“Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah! Dah-boh-bah!” The second there was the tiniest clang of metal outside.

Yessss, Hank regretted making Connor socialize and subsequently introduce all his friends and the entire android generation to the terrible furby disease. His only comfort was Doo-mah?!?!’s angry screams for Rk100 to stop. The increasing shrillness in his “BOO! BOOOOO!” Perfectly reflected Hank’s own rage.

Connor slept soundly through all of it, forcing Hank to plan a nice little renovation session for the spare bedroom where he was going to keep the furry fuckers locked up and screaming at each other behind closed doors.

Connor even slept through Hank’s angry “Go to fucking Way-loh!!”, too, though not without a bit of effort and a suppressed grin.


End file.
